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What we think
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Updated April 11, 2024·
If price is a significant factor for you, the JBL Tune Buds are more budget-friendly and offer good sound, comfort, durability, and are suitable for exercise with both sweatproof and dustproof features. They have a longer battery life for the earbuds themselves, and are great for air travel or use during exercise. However, if you prioritize sound quality and features like active noise cancelling and an equalizer app for a more personalized listening experience, the Sony WF1000XM4 might be worth the extra investment, offering excellent overall sound, an app with audio control customization, and 'best in class' performance for listening to books or podcasts. The Sony WF1000XM4 also includes virtual surround sound through supported apps, but it has a shorter battery life and lacks sweatproof certification, making it less ideal for exercise. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the JBL Tune Buds
- Good for exercise
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM4
- Excellent for music
- Best in class for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.2
9.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is excellent for music, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Phone Calls
4.9
6.7
The Sony WF1000XM4 is only fair for phone calls, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8
10.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is best in class for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.7
8.3
The Sony WF1000XM4 is very good for noise reduction, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Battery
10.4 Hours
9.0 Hours
The JBL Tune Buds has 10.4 hours of battery life. The Sony WF1000XM4 has 9 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$220
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The JBL Tune Buds has a price of $50 and the Sony WF1000XM4 costs $220.
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Key similarities
Gaming
5.4
5.6
The Sony WF1000XM4 and JBL Tune Buds are both poor for gaming.
TV and Video
6.1
6.0
The JBL Tune Buds and Sony WF1000XM4 are both only fair for TV and video.
Build Quality
8.5
8.9
The Sony WF1000XM4 and JBL Tune Buds both have very good build quality.
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How the JBL Tune Buds and the Sony WF1000XM4 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| JBL Tune Buds | Sony WF1000XM4 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $220 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | JBL | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | July 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.3/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.9/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 6.1/10 | 6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 7.6/10 | 6.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 10.4 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | 30 | 24 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6.8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6/10 | 5.4/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Large | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 10.8 Grams | 6.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
JBL Tune Buds
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Dig into reviews and images
PC Mag
Tim Gideon | September 2023
"JBL’s Tune Buds stick with the company’s signature bass-heavy sound by default, but a quality in-app EQ lets you sculpt the audio to taste. These noise-cancelling true wireless earphones also mitigate environmental distractions fairly well for the price and offer good battery life. If you're specifically seeking bold, bass-tuned audio out of the box, the Tune Buds are worth a listen."
Sony WF1000XM4
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Dig into reviews and images
What HiFi?
What HiFi? | March 2023
"The headphones deliver a satisfying user experience, class-leading battery life, some of the best noise-cancelling we’ve heard in this category, and absolutely stunning sound quality."
Get a great deal on the JBL Tune Buds or the Sony WF1000XM4
About JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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